Well I went through a big downfall, the first part of the big drop to 16.5 was when I was tired and sick, I was reading "the mental game of poker" and it said to push yourself, but I misinterperted that it meant to push yourself in tilted situations, not when you're tired and sick :P.

The drop after 16.5 BI is when I started to read hand reading book, I think it may have caused me trouble, I think maybe I should go back to my old strat of just value betting vs most opponents? I did feel like I had a lot of bad beats like calling down with the best hand and getting rivered by gutshots and 2 pairs and me paying them off to a reraise on the river (I know I'm beat but yet the curiosity too see if my reads were correct make me pay them off)


I really need some advice here, I dropped to 1.50 at 15$ now I have 7.84... I'm really low on confidence.

I think at that level you should just bet the strength of your hand. Generally people there are going to call you really light, even 3rd pair sometimes. Level 1 thinking, but don't call reraises without a good reason, it's not worth it.

you should always try and figure out villains range. dont be concerned with the $ at this point in your poker career, be more concerned with getting better and learning the neccessary skills to move up.

Yeah, I think I should only practice my hand reading skills against only some opponents, and for the majority I think I will be value betting and bluff only in the best spots.

Yes so true this is what made me go broke, but I'd like to not go broke, so maybe I need a new strategy that allows me to practice but also breaking even. However I think I might have been beating some villians that gave me trouble before, as a trade off I was losing to the maniacs\loose\passive who were the source of my profit, trying to hand read them almost seemed useless.

I dont know what hand reading book your reading but being a good poker player is all about hand reading but that doesnt mean not to value bet when you think your ahead, its putting them on a certain range of hands and decideing what the best descision is against that range, using whatever info you have on your oponent.
i.e. TPTK vrs a passive calling station you value bet flop and turn he check raises, easy fold.
vrs a spewy aggro oponent its an easy call.

Yes, I think my problem is calling re raises, my curiosity kills me, I think I just need to relearn folding again, because I get raised on river and I think "Gosh did he really just call me down with a gutshot or overcards?" I actually make the mistake of not putting those cards in their range, I guess I need more practice and more BR.

btw I'm reading "How to read hands at no limit holdem" by Ed Miller, and also watching an 8 part series called hand readers on DC

everybody goes busto. the strong deal with it. the weak make excuses.

Everything what rbj said 100%

And be careful to do the hand reading right. I sometimes see new players narrow down opponents hands just to a few possibilitys, or even worse to one hand, like "I think he has AK here".

That is not hand reading. Think in ranges - use Pokerstove to get a feeling for it, and decide which part of that range you beat and which one beats you.

this +1 mirrion.

But don't let it be your bible.